Don't you think it's silly to blame the media for gender inequality?

Question

This is directed at both men and women. I just am curious to why the self-esteem of both genders is blamed on the media. I'm not saying I'm above it all or anything because I'm not, I am simply trying change my way of thinking that my issues are my own and that I am working on them. Especially since stuff with media isn't changing anytime soon.

It seems that shifting the blame instead of dealing with it doesn't solve anything.

What do you think?

Answer 1

media is sexist against men and so is yahoo answers.

Answer 2

I think its silly when people blame all issues on the media , but i also thinks its stupid when they dont realize part of that its true! The media is very powerful when it creates stereotypes . Have you seen how fat people get constantly made fun of on tv? i am more than sure that if that never happened less people would be disgusted of fat people. Gender inequality comes from tradition also , and again someone IN POWER decided that things should be a certain way and then the naive followers continued this tradition to what we know today. In order to stop the stereotypes we should REBEL first and then change by doing exactly the opposite of what we thought it was acceptable behavior!

Answer 3

The media is to blame because parents don't raise their kids. The media and strangers (strangers in some cases and I refer to daycare when I say strangers) do. The solution isn't the answer you aren't looking for.

Answer 4

The media only gives the people what they want... If that results in gender inequality, blame the society as a whole, not the media.

The same can be said for government, the law, the police etc. If they are corrupt, it is because society is corrupt. That is where those people are selected from... They will remain corrupt as long as the society does...

Answer 5

It ought to be, but it isn't. If you hear the same message over and over again, more often than not, you can't help but internalize it.

Answer 6

No I don't.

The media shapes popular opinion and also convinces dumb people what to think. Remember when the media convinced the country that Saddam had something to do with 9/11?

Ever watch 'The Honeymooners'? I'm sure Ralph Kramden taught a few men that it was ok to smack their wives every time he said: "To the moon, Alice! Pow! Right in the kisser!"

And I'm sure the majority of sitcoms today which portray men as incompetent, bumbling oafs are teaching women that men should not have strong opinions in relationships.

Answer 7

There's a certain amount of personal responsibility people are ignoring if they blame the media for the problem entirely.

Surely, the media has some blame in it all - the media is both a reflection and a driving force.  The media shows the public that they "think" people want to see in movies, music, television and video games, as do the major manufacturers of merchandise targeted at females.   Some people in turn behave in a way portrayed as 'normal' by the media.

There's also social pressure which I think is fed by the media, at least in part.

And then there is ourselves and what we accept in treatment from others and how we treat others in turn.

The trick I think is to be aware of how your gender is portrayed by the media and refusing to be limited by it.  I'm sorry to say that sometimes this means that if you are in a role normally associated with the other gender you can't just be as good as your peers - you have to be better and work harder at breaking that mold.

Which brings us back to the whole inequality thing. But until more people take the effort to defy it, it won't ever become normal to be equal.

Answer 8

I agree with you. I think it's about time we all start taking some personal responsibility for our behavior and reactions.

Anonymous, I have to disagree.  I am smart enough to know that all not all men are fat bumbling idiots.  Men should be smart enough to know that not all women are money grubbing wh*res.  If we believe these stereotypes then perhaps the opposite s*x isn't the problem, but the problem is ourselves and our  perception. We alone are responsible for how we perceive things and how gullible we allow ourselves to be.  Nobody can fix us but ourselves.

Answer 9

No it is not silly at all. You'll be surprised to know how powerful the Media is. The Media has been a tool for well-known fascists like Adolf Hitler, whom portrayed people of blonde hair and blue eyes as the 'superior race' through a wide range of propaganda: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/youthunderfas...

Think about it yourself. How can a once deprived nation literally starving then go to a nation which fed on it's very own neighbours? It was fueled by the inspiration given by the Media (the propaganda).

This is exactly the same today. 99.9% of Humans are lost leaves in the wind. They will do what a celebrity does or they will buy a pair of trainers simply because it has a Nike logo on it. Why? Because Nike has been portrayed by the media as a status symbol, thus wearing it means that one is 'wealthy' (only by looks anyway). Previously, women were solely portrayed as the house maids whilst men as the people who put food on the table. Nowadays it's women portrayed as big, bulky superheroes, but even that is in the minority when talking in terms of the world. I suggest you read about the Hypodermic Syringe Theory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypodermic_...

Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to state that people are incapable of controlling their own actions. However, the Media is an effective tool of the oligarchs which was exemplary in the time of 1930 Germany right up to now.

Answer 10

Not silly but is a common mistake, is like to say media is responsible for violence and other social problems, but is a tool that we can use to change paradigmas.